PlateWire is a public repository and electronic forum of drivers by drivers. Using a drivers license plate, commuters can communicate their thoughts and feelings in regards to driving on today's roadways.
Read More...

Legend

Award

Flag

Hazard

Wink

Wire Legend

Award

Flag

Wink

Hazard

To "Award" a driver, is to say thanks to a driver for showing courtesy and thoughtfulness.

To "Flag" a driver, is to warn a driver of his/her rude and/or careless behavior
that you have witnessed.

To "Wink" at a driver, is to send a flirtacious message to a driver you've encountered.

To "Hazard" a driver is to warn them of a physical hazard that their
vehicle exhibits.

Comments

Driver's education needs to be law in Georgia. Three people have died this week-end because of uneducated drivers.

1) Stockbridge: 15 year old (Not even legal to drive) kills his best friend running a stop sign on a busy highway.

2) Cherokee County: 16 year old kills her MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER because she over corrected her car.

It should be required for every one to take the course.

med5143

Monday, March 12, 2007

Drivers education may reduce the number of deaths, it won’t eliminate them. And nobody knows for certain if we would have a reduction of fatalities either.

As part of your argument you bring up someone illegally driving a vehicle. Drivers education wouldn’t have had an impact there. We don’t know the details on that. If he ran the sign because he didn’t care then he would have done it anyway. If it was because he didn’t see it because they were playing around in the car I doubt education would have been helpful there either.

The CherokeeCounty incident would be inexperience. Even with driver’s education the overcorrection may have occurred anyway. Drivers with decades of experience behind them overcorrect. But, it is possible with track training she may have been better able to cope. There’s no way to determine what the outcome would be. Panic is what causes overcorrection in most cases. There is a big difference between a controlled environment correcting a skid and an unexpected loss of control on a highway. Are you certain she didn’t have drivers education behind her?

It’s easy to make a knee jerk reaction after tragedy. Do you or I really know what happened in the two incidents you used as the basis of your argument. No, neither of us know for certain what occurred. It’s possible nobody but the two drivers will ever know.

I am not sure how I feel about required drivers education. While it’s a valuable experience I’m not sure how much of an actual difference it’ll make. Training would be better. But, who’s going to pay for that? It would be a large bill for the tax payers and if you laid the financial burden on the driver/parents then somehow it would be unfair to the poor.

techie

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Who defended them? And where did child murder come into play?

The drivers education program made available to students is a joke. A bad joke at that. Go back, read what was written. Read the closing paragraph which stated driver training would better than a simple drivers education program.

You didn’t only jump to a conclusion, you leaped to it.

Do you know for fact neither driver hadn’t taken a drivers education course? Or is that

another assumption? And where did this when drivers education was around come from? Go back 20 years, MOST didn’t have drivers education. Even 10 years ago the restrictions were far less to obtain a license. Go back further and it didn’t exist.

You’re making assumptions driver education would have reduced the chances of either incident happening. Based on what statistical data?

Did you know the 15 year old wasn’t licensed at all? Not even a learners permit. That came out on the news last night. How would drivers education played a role? The young man shouldn’t have been behind the wheel at all. I agree, it happened because of stupidity but not the lack of education.

And please tell me how you would think drivers education would have prevented the incident in CherokeeCounty? It’s inexperience which causes that, a little bit of drivers education won’t cover that, if panic sets in which it does in many cases all the education in the world won’t help.

To answer your question about cutting someone out of a car. Yes, I’ve seen it. Have you been the one to do the actual cutting out? I have and I can tell you it’s not easy. You’re trying to go as fast as you can and trying not to cause more injury all while holding back emotion which can have a bad affect on doing the job properly.

I didn’t say it was unfair to the poor, I said somehow it would be unfair to the poor. Big difference between the two. I’m looking at reality. If the new drivers or their parents had to pay for driver training someone out there would be saying it’s an unfair burden on the poor. I didn’t say that, you read into what was written.

Lard butts and handicap permits. Have you ever considered that it is possible some of those people you’re complaining about gained weight because ofa medical problem or reduced mobility. It’s not out of the question someone having a difficult time walking might gain some weight. Often though, I would agree with you. Just don’t put that on all of the people.

You’re striking me as someone who cowers away from a debate. Engage the debate and prove me wrong. But, I suspect we’re closer to agreement than disagreement on most of this.

Read my post more carefully Flo. And I’ll pass on kissing your grits, but thanks for the offer.

techie

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I wanted to address this in a separate response.

Go back, read the thread complaining about your southside posts. It was I defending those posts. You suggest it was I who had a problem with them.

So you won’t be seeing anymore stupid drivers from the “Southside” as far as I’m concern they can keep doing their stupid acts as long as they don’t bother me.

It was someone from Florida complaining about your posts.

techie

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

In a previous post - or did you miss that? I have no issue with drivers education and do think the new driver should be paying for it. Not the taxpayers. If they want to drive they should pay, not me.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Religion has become a country club for crooks? You’re sadly mistaken, that’s how it got started. Churches are in the business of selling salvation. If you don’t get saved do you get a refund? No, you’re already dead and can’t collect.

Joshua’s law never should have been passed. It amounts to a tax on traffic violations. You can bet if the law is repealed the tax will mange to survive. I have no issue with mandatory drivers education for the teens. But, the cost of that education should be paid by the teen or the parents. If they want to drive then they should pay, or wait until age 18.

If the parents can’t afford it then let the teen flip burgers for a while. The work will do them some good.

techie

techie

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

That was an interesting rebuttal; you still refuse to see that human lives have been lost.That is the major problem with the world now.No one cares.And you still seem to have a problem with funding this project.Life is more important than money.How about some feed back other than Techie.How do others feel about it?Education or death????

(Hey look techie I can use color font also

med5143

Monday, March 12, 2007

You know when I first started with Plate wire I thought this would be a great way to let others know how dangerous people are driving.Was I wrong?Yes! It seems every blog I submit some smart ass, has a response and it seem to be defending the guilty person. You know techie you made every remark in response to make it sound like you’re the type of person that if you child committed murder they did no wrong.In response to your inquires as to if I was there when these accidents happen?Well guess what, I was at the Stockbridge accident and saw that kid take his last breathe when he died while the firefighters were cutting him out.The impact was so hard the center post was in the middle of the car.And also I have been in public safety for 32 years and have seen how the increase of children deaths has occurred because of stupidity. Every seen a mother grieve over her child being killed?While the child is lying dead in the car or street from being ejected? When driver’s education was around there were less wrecks and stupid actions on the road.To me this web site doesn’t meet my goals.Like I said I thought this was a site to report stupid drivers, not to defend them.So as for me I have no use for this web site.So you won’t be seeing anymore stupid drivers from the “Southside” as far as I’m concern they can keep doing their stupid acts as long as they don’t bother me.And if they do they better have a good lawyer.Because I do.As I have stated, whenever they get drivers education back in there will be a decrease of children deaths.And drivers will be more educated.And as I stated if you can breathe, sign your name and smile you’ll get a license.Most of these people have no clue to what any of these signs read much less what they mean.I just hope I don’t run into any of you on the road.Either driving stupid or being cut out of an entrapment from a wreck.So look out folks on the Southside.And plate wire please remove my profile.And unfair to the poor?My God they have better free benefits than those that really have to pay.I’m sure they would get it free like everything else.Like I have said also before seeing these people parking in the handicap parking.Being a lard bucket does not constitute disability.Did anybody hold a gun to your head while engulf food all day long?People with real handicaps can’t find a place to park because of someone with a toe ache got their doctor or either bought it on the black market illegal.And yes if people can duplicate money they can reproduce handicap tags.Now that I’ve gotten some of my anger out I feel a little better.But everyday and every where children are dying at an earlier age because of poor education.And that’s anything, kids are coming out school so stupid they graduate them just to get them out.That and lack of discipline has destroyed this nation.As the famous words of Flo’ “KISS MY GRITS”

med5143

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I do see the lives have been lost. However, I don’t agree driver’s education would make the impact you are suggesting. Driver’s *training* would be much better. You can’t seem to understand our point of disagreement is you think drivers education would save a lot of lives, I disagree. I don’t defend the people you used in your example, nor am I against drivers education.

We seem to think in this country if we throw enough money at a problem it’ll go away. Look at education in general. In the United States we spend far more per student for education than most other developed countries, but we’re lagging much of the world in education. American children will ultimately pay the price for our inability to prepare them properly. I don’t blame the kids, I blame you and I for this.

What’s wrong with requiring the parents or child to pay for the training, or even education if that’s the best our state can muster? Why should the burden of cost be borne by the taxpayer?

If a child wants to drive before age 18 then they or their parents should pay the cost of the required education or training. This is a choice. I don’t see why a 16 year old needs to be driving anyway. Most 16 and 17 year olds simply are not yet mature enough.

When I was 16 I walked or rode a bicycle nearly 5 miles each way to work in a restaurant. It did me a lot of good. The exercise was great and it made me appreciate the value of a drivers license more. We give everything to kids today, they should have to work for everything just as we did. It builds character and increases maturity.

You close out education or death. You firmly believe education will solve the problem. I simply don't agree. Young teens do not think as we do. They live in the moment and don’t consider the consequences of their actions. Would education create a bigger problem? Certainly not. Will it have an impact, I feel the impact would be minimal.

If we put together a GREAT program the impact would be better and I probably would side with you a bit more. Even a great program will not solve this problem. But if left to public schools it isn’t great, it’s a meager joke.

This is in part based on the DeKalb study which driveteach here has rallied against. The DeKalb study is cited as a possible reason for the declining number of drivers education programs around the country.

Reducing the Crash Risk for Young Drivers -this appears to strongly favor graduated licensing for young people

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/ReducingTeenCrashes.pdf

While not directly related, this is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety opposing CDL licensing of drivers under 21. Again, not directly related but a good read.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/comments/pdf/fmsca_ds_atm_052303.pdf

techie

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

If you want more people involved in this thread then begin a blog in all states. And yes, I will debate on it, just as you hopefully will.

My opinion isn’t set in stone on this or anything else. Convince me, provide a good basis for argument and be prepared to back up assumptions. Even in disagreement often both parties will walk away with a better understanding.

techie

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I’m reading back…you made a point life is more important that money.

I’ll agree to that. But, why should the taxpayers foot the bill. Shouldn’t the burden of cost be placed on the new driver or his/her parents? They’re making a *choice* to drive before the age of 18. Shouldn’t they accept everything that comes with making that choice?

Yes, I do care about lives lost. But I will not and should not allow emotion to cause me to lose objectivity.

The Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA), enacted on July 1, 1997, led to a 44.5 percent decline in teenage speed-related crashes in 18 months, which was five times less than the rate of drivers over age 24.

I guess plate wire is limiting my entries. I'm having to enter them in sections. Is big brother watching????

med5143

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Platewire does limit size of post but I find that true only if I exceed about 1.25 pages in Word.

Actually Joshua’s law you’re partially right. It’s not really funded by traffic fines, it’s funded by a tax levied on those fines.

The below from the Georgia Dept of Driver Services (text in red indicates source obtained from the state.

TADRA is a graduated driver's license program for young drivers ages 15 to 18. It was established in Georgia by a collaborative effort of highway safety advocates, legislators, law enforcement officials, educators, businesses and media in the wake of a high number of fatal vehicle crashes involving young, inexperienced drivers.

TADRA didn’t require drivers education initially, it was a graduated license program. Driver’s education was to be added to TADRA to begin this calendar year.

Driver’s education isn’t part of the TADRA program until AFTER 1/1/07. The 44.5% reduction you’re reading about occurred prior to Joshua’s law. Meaning the 44.5% has nothing to do with driver’s education since that it wasn’t part of TADRA when the study was completed. Further, it wasn’t a 44.5% reduction in crashes, it was a 44.55 reduction in SPEED related crashes. I would like to know what the reduction, if any on other types of crashes is. Statistical data sometimes purposely leaves out information to achieve desired results.

I’m not suggesting a 44.5% reduction in speed related crashes isn’t a good thing, in fact it’s great. But, by the state isolating their findings to speed related only means there is more information not being shared with us. No, I’m not suggesting a cover up either. More likely reductions in other areas were only meager reductions which could mislead some people into thinking TADRA isn’t effective. TADRA is effective but I would love to see the raw data on this.

There would be no way Joshua’s law impacted the study since it went into effect this year and has been in limbo. There wouldn’t be any data yet.

Joshua's Law - On or after January 1, 2007, any 16 year old who obtains an initial Class D license must have completed:

I would never have debated graduated drivers license doesn’t save lives. I knew it did. Honestly I would support teens not being able to drive at all until age 18. That would also have a big impact.

techie

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Good Luck techie, rationality just seemingly does not prevail at times!

SL55

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Read the previous thread. I'm now being accused of turning it around to make me look good. I've also been accused of attacking people.

techie

Sunday, March 18, 2007

I am having trouble understanding the history of the GA Driver's Ed system. At first glance, it seems that there is no mandatory training?I am confused.

Med5143, Big Brother is far too busy with other things to scrutinize this site for people to limit or posts to censor. It's something in the wonderful world of the interweb. Either your ISP got a hiccup or the server got a hiccup or 200 people alll tried to post at the same time or something! I've had it happen to me and so have many others. It's not about you.

I am also confused that someone would be derisive of those who advocate decent writing in one breath and call for better education in the next.

Kel

Kel

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Techie remind me to make sure I know what I'm talking about when I debate you. Zoinks you are one smart cookie.

MED5143 - please bring this to the all states page, I would love to see it and the continuing saga unfold.

bbw200

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Tdecker thank you. Most people don’t understand it’s the experience which plays the larger role, not drivers education. Drivers education would reduce incidents but that reduction would be slight.

Not because it’s drivers education but it’s how the public school implement the programs. The states barely put an emphasis on real education when it comes to drivers education either. It’s a horrible joke being played on the public. I’m all for a very comprehensive training program but feel the new driver should pay for it. Let them begin to take responsibility now rather than later.

Even in my field I see these new kids come out of school. They have extensive training and every certification there is. They have a difficult time doing the job and often run into snags they weren’t taught. There is no replacement for experience. But, at the same time the experience comes from actually doing something. Which was why graduated licensing programs are so successful in reducing accidents. Driving while supervised plays a huge role in the betterment of a new driver.

It’s a shame med can’t see this. You and I also have a recent disagreement and neither of us got annoyed. We still disagree on that subject but we both came away a bit more aware.

techie

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I am just now researching driver's ed programs due to my child getting close to that "age". Techie and I have discussed this some prior to this post and I am in agreement with the fact he brings up, why are 15 and 16 year old CHILDREN driving. In my opinion, the wrecks caused by these teenagers are mostly due to LACK OF EXPERIENCE!!! Anybody can go through a drivers ed program, does that mean they are "ready" to drive on their own, with other teenagers in the car, I don't think so!! Again, in my opinion, teenagers should not be able to get an unrestricted license until they have YEARS of experience behind their belt! Although my daughter loves to go around saying, "I will be 15 in so many months and can drive"! I love to be able to remind her that, although the state of SC allows her to get a permit at that age, it does not mean she is able to drive!! It has been told to her many many times, she will not be able to drive until she has alot of experience, acts maturely, shows alot of responsibility and does very well in her school drivers ed class! I have told her many times, it's not anything off my a**(excuse me) if she can't drive because she has not met the standards laid out for her. I feel that if more parents took this mentality instead of giving their "child" the keys to the car and the freedom to go on their own before they have been trained and had the opportunity to get as much experience as possible, then maybe the number of teen wrecks/deaths would show some decline. In my opinion, a big decline.

tdecker69

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

New to the site but like the idea that it plays into. Drivers safety is a joke throughout this country. I originally learned how to drive in Europe. My first liscence cost me 1800 euros close to $3000 USD I had extensive drivers training for over a year. where I would spend hours a day behind the wheel at speeds that in this country is considered utter madness. At certian points I was taken to a skid pad and given the keys to different kind of cars and placed in situations that were both exhilirating and terrifying. Taught to control power, when and where to change gears, and how to counter steer in different kinds of cars so that if it occured outside on the road I would know how to react and counteract. Now fast forward to my second american liscence when I got back from europe. My liscence cost me $45 USD and required I have 3 hours of driver training. I failed my first drivers test in the states because I allowed my free hand to rest on the shifter in that parking lot that they gave me the test in. 2 days later I took the test again and that gentleman said "eh I'm in a hurry gun it!" 5 minutes later I had an American Liscence. So with all that being said who would you want your child learning to drive from?

As for me I am in my 20's I have had 1 accident since I first started driving at 16 from someone test driving a Mustang GT that his daddy was buying him for his graduation and smoking the tires out out of a stop sign to my passenger side door. I have got speeding tickets that started accumulating after 18 my first one 2 weeks back from Germany I was pulled over for doing 136 in a 70mph zone (Please note that most of germany has no speed limits and our interstate system was designed after the German Audobahn). I only pass on the left as the law states I should. I also have slowed down but average between 85 mph (slowes speed allowable on Audobahn was 80 mph) and 110 mph on the interstate. depending on weather, traffic conditions, and area I am driving in. There have been times when it was prudent to go 45 mph on the interstate and I happily did it. On other roads or highways I follow the speed limit to a T or just below.

I also study criminal justice and am pursuing a career in law enforcement. I also know that some of the things I have said will point a lot of anger my way having the site be what it is. But take not on this and the discussion. Speed doesn't kill. Drivers who don't how to control vehicles going at that speed do. In this country we need more and better driver safety.

900a2ff3-c996-4d43-b680-9a67ab20644e

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

New to the site but like the idea that it plays into. Drivers safety is a joke throughout this country. I originally learned how to drive in Europe. My first liscence cost me 1800 euros close to $3000 USD I had extensive drivers training for over a year. where I would spend hours a day behind the wheel at speeds that in this country is considered utter madness. At certian points I was taken to a skid pad and given the keys to different kind of cars and placed in situations that were both exhilirating and terrifying. Taught to control power, when and where to change gears, and how to counter steer in different kinds of cars so that if it occured outside on the road I would know how to react and counteract. Now fast forward to my second american liscence when I got back from europe. My liscence cost me $45 USD and required I have 3 hours of driver training. I failed my first drivers test in the states because I allowed my free hand to rest on the shifter in that parking lot that they gave me the test in. 2 days later I took the test again and that gentleman said "eh I'm in a hurry gun it!" 5 minutes later I had an American Liscence. So with all that being said who would you want your child learning to drive from?

As for me I am in my 20's I have had 1 accident since I first started driving at 16 from someone test driving a Mustang GT that his daddy was buying him for his graduation and smoking the tires out out of a stop sign to my passenger side door. I have got speeding tickets that started accumulating after 18 my first one 2 weeks back from Germany I was pulled over for doing 136 in a 70mph zone (Please note that most of germany has no speed limits and our interstate system was designed after the German Audobahn). I only pass on the left as the law states I should. I also have slowed down but average between 85 mph (slowes speed allowable on Audobahn was 80 mph) and 110 mph on the interstate. depending on weather, traffic conditions, and area I am driving in. There have been times when it was prudent to go 45 mph on the interstate and I happily did it. On other roads or highways I follow the speed limit to a T or just below.

I also study criminal justice and am pursuing a career in law enforcement. I also know that some of the things I have said will point a lot of anger my way having the site be what it is. But take not on this and the discussion. Speed doesn't kill. Drivers who don't how to control vehicles going at that speed do. In this country we need more and better driver safety.

900a2ff3-c996-4d43-b680-9a67ab20644e

Only Registered Members may add comments

Processing...

Please Note: Currently user sessions only last 20 minutes,
if you feel you are going to spend more than that writing your entry, we suggest
that you write your text in a separate text editor before posting. If your session
times out (20 Mins+) you will be redirected to login. We plan to correct this bug shortly.